What Will College Actually Cost You?
The sticker price is rarely what families pay. Here is how to find your real number.
Three Steps to Your Real Cost
- 1
Know the two prices
The sticker price is a college’s published cost of attendance: tuition, fees, housing, food, books and other costs. The net price is what a family actually pays after grants and scholarships, and it depends on family income.
- 2
Look up net price by income
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard) reports each college’s average net price by family income range. With a Basic plan or higher, you can find your range on each school’s College Decoded profile. For free, use each school’s net price calculator or College Scorecard, or try the calculator demo first.
- 3
Run each college’s own calculator
Colleges that take federal aid must post a net price calculator on their website. It uses your family’s own numbers, so run it for every school on your list before you rule anything out.
The demo uses sample students and real colleges. Your family's number depends on your own finances.
Get the Net Price Email Series
Five emails over about a week: sticker price vs. net price, looking up published costs in College Decoded's free college search, and what the paid College Decoded plan adds: your family's net price, from Basic at $19/mo. Unsubscribe any time.